Apparatus for emptying sewage or waste facility of a boat

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for emptying the sewage or waste facility of a boat which is equipped with a deck plate having a hole in communication with the boat&#39;&#39;s sewage collecting system. The apparatus includes a foot-receiving mounting platform on which is a manual pump provided with an inlet duct extending to the underside of the platform. A compressible elastomeric sealing annulus surrounds the inlet duct and can be compressed between the under side of the mounting platform and the deck plate by foot pressure to create an effective liquid-tight seal, such foot pressure also stabilizing the apparatus during pumping operation. The outlet of the pump is connected by a tube to a portable collecting tank.

United States Patent [1 1 Williams APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING SEWAGE OR WASTE FACILITY OF A BOAT [75] Inventor: William D. Williams, Mahwah, NJ. [73} Assignee: Aquology Systems, Inc Bristol, R.l.

[22] Filed: Nov. 11, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 197,655

[52] US. Cl. 417/234 [51] Int. Cl. F04b 21/00 [58] Field of Search 417/234, 903; 4/10,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,474,467 10/1969 Stinson 4/10 179,993 7/1876 Bradley 417/234 1,040,276 10/1912 C0leman.... 285/9 R 2,011,525 8/1935 Parsley 285/9 R 205,036 6/1878 Bishop 4/90 1,891,408 12/1932 Gorman 417/234 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 201,946 8/1923 Great Britain 417/234 1 Aug. 7, 1973 81,411 12/1918 Germany 417/234 Primary Examiner-William L. Freeh Assistant Examiner.lohn T. Winburn Attorney-Malcolm W. Fraser [57] ABSTRACT Apparatus for emptying the sewage or waste facility of a boat which is equipped with a deck plate having a hole in communication with the boats sewage collecting system. The apparatus includes a foot-receiving mounting platform on which is a manual pump provided with an inlet duct extending to the underside of the platform. A compressible elastomeric sealing annulus surrounds the inlet duct and can be compressed between the under side of the mounting platform and the deck plate by .foot pressure to create an effective liquid-tight seal, such foot pressure also stabilizing the apparatus during pumping operation. The outlet of the pump is connected by a tube to a portable collecting tank.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEB 3. 75 1 .187

LBOAT DECK FIG.

INVENTOR.

\A/(LUAM D. WILLIAMS ATr-QRQEQ APPARATUS FOR EMPTYING SEWAGE OR WASTE FACILITY OF A BOAT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Pleasure craft having toilet facilities often dispose of effluent therefrom directly into waterways, but this is now frowned upon because of water contamination. In fact, laws have been enacted in some states preventing this and requiring such outlets in boats to be closed. As a consequence, holding tanks are often used and these must be emptied from time to time. This is an extremely unpleasant job, but one that must be attended to.

Dockside at many marinas there are facilities by which effluent from boats can be pumped. This simplifies the problem so long as the boat is docked, but when boats are under way or are away from marinas, difficulty exists in emptying the waste tanks.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention provides a simple assembly by which the waste disposal system, such as a holding tank of a boat, can be quickly and efficiently pumped without the bother and mess heretofore encountered. Such an assembly is advantageous not only when the boat is under way or away from a marina, but also when the boat is docked at a marina because the marina equipped suction hose for sucking out the contents of the holding tank is often at an inconvenient location. This necessitates maneuvering the boat not infrequently in a very crowded environment to a particular location which may be quite bothersome.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING FIG. 1 is a side elevation partly in section of an apparatus for emptying a sewage or waste facility of a boat and showing the same on a boat deck applied to the hole of a deck plate in operative position;

FIG. 2 is a top perspective view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 1 with a portion of the discharge tube and the collecting tank broken away; and

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the sealing annulus and the pump discharge pipe.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the drawings, designates the deck of a boat, which, in most cases, is provided with what is known as a deck plate 11 which has a nozzle-like extension extendingthrough a hole in the deck. The nozzle receives a tube 13 which extends to the sewage or waste collecting facility of the boat, such as a holding tank and/or a combination toilet and holding tank. The deck plate 11 is connected by screws to the deck and is provided with internal screw threads to receive a closure cap (not shown).

In accordance with this invention, there is provided an apparatus for emptying or pumping out such sewage or waste collecting facility, and this comprises amounting platform 14 which may be a wooden or metallic plate of any convenient shape. On the upper side of the mounting platform I4 is a pump 15, which, as shown, is provided with a vertically reciprocable pivotally mounted operating handle 16. The particular construction of the pump forms no part of the present invention. Suffice it to say that the up and down pumping action of the handle 16 sucks effluent through the inlet end and discharges it through the outlet end. The pump illustrated is a well known diaphragm pump, such as routinely used by boatsmen for pumping out water and other liquids from the bilges. As shown, the pump unit has a number of supporting legs 17, which rest on the mounting platform 14 and are rigidly fastened in place by screws 18, or the like.

Providing the inlet for the pump 15 is an L-shaped pipe 19, the outer end of which extends downwardly through a hole in the mounting platform. As shown in FIG. 3, a portion of the pipe 19 projects through the mounting platform 14, and on this portion is a relatively soft elastomeric sealing annulus 20, which is hemispherically shaped. The outer end portion of the pipe 19 is of less diameter than that of the deck plate 1 1 and its nozzle so that it can project into the hole and the soft elastomeric sealing annulus 20 may be crowded into a portion of the hole and compressed to provide an effective liquid tight seal between the pump assembly and the deck plate 11.

As shown, particularly in FIG. 2, at one side of the pump, the mounting platform 14 has painted thereon, or otherwise displayed, the print of a shoe. In operation, the operator places his left foot on the shoe print and by pressing forwardly with the inner end of the mounting platform 14 bearing against the boat deck and the soft elastomeric annulus 20 forced into the hole of the deck plate, two things are accomplished. In the first place, an effective liquid tight seal is provided between the platform 14 and the deck plate to enable effluent to be pumped from the sewage collecting facility by the pump. In the second place, the pressure of the foot upon the mounting platform steadies or stabilizes the pump assembly during the pumping operation, thereby preventing creeping of the pump assembly during the pumping operation. The pump 15 has a discharge opening at its rear end, and connected to this discharge opening is a flexible tube 22 which may be of any desired length, and leads to a portable tank 23 to which it is detachably connected by a coupling 24 so that the tube 22 may be disconnected from the tank to enable the latter to be emptied.

From the above, it will be understood that I have described one form of my invention in full compliance with the statutes, but numerous changes in details of construction, arrangement, and choice of materials may be made without departing from the invention as defined by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for emptying the sewage or waste facility of a boat equipped with a deck having a deck plate provided with a hole communicating with the sewage collecting system, said apparatus comprising:

a portable mounting platform,

a pump on the upper side of said mounting platform provided with a manual up and down operating handle an inlet duct for said pump extending to and beyond I the under side of the front end of said platform,

a soft elastomeric annulus on that portion of said inlet duct disposed on the under side of said platform adapted to effect a liquid tight seal between said inlet duct and the deck plate hole,

the structure being such that when said annulus engages said deck plate hole, the platform inclines so that the opposite end rests on the boat deck,

thereof,

a flexible hose leading from said discharge opening,

and

portable tank means to collect the effluent discharged from said flexible hose.

I I t l 

1. Apparatus for emptying the sewage or waste facility of a boat equipped with a deck having a deck plate provided with a hole communicating with the sewage collecting system, said apparatus comprising: a portable mounting platform, a pump on the upper side of said mounting platform provided with a manual up and down operating handle an inlet duct for said pump extending to and beyond the under side of the front end of said platform, a soft elastomeric annulus on that portion of said inlet duct disposed on the under side of said platform adapted to effect a liquid tight seal between said inlet duct and the deck plate hole, the structure being such that when said annulus engages said deck plate hole, the platform inclines so that the opposite end rests on the boat deck, a foot area on the upper side of said platform to receive the foot of the operator for pressing the annulus into sealing engagement with the deck plate hole and also to stabilize the apparatus during the up and down operation of said pumping handle, a discharge opening for said pump at the rear end thereof, a flexible hose leading from saiD discharge opening, and portable tank means to collect the effluent discharged from said flexible hose. 